Valve testing clamp



Sept. 4, 1934. c. P. FREUDE'NBERG 1,972,767

VALVE TESTING CLAMP .Filed July 22. 1931 HIS ATTOR NEYS Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED :STATES VALVE `TESTING CLAMP Carl P, Freudenberg, Chicago, Ill.

, Application July 22, 19.31 Serial No. 552,534 l z claims. (o1. vs -51) This invention relates :to-:certain novel improvements in valve testing clamps, iand has for `its principal object the provision of an improved construction o1" this character which will be highly eiiicient in use and economical in manufacture.

For the purpose of inspecting and repairing lthe intricate mechanism of .the so-:called vfeed/errreducing valves of a railway air-brake and -control `mechanism-s, it is necessary to remove these valves -froin theiroperative-position upon the .lo- .cornotive or car. This invention is `.designed to provide anew and improvedvdevice for @clamping these valves -in such a manner that the repair and inspection of the valves ywill.loeiacilitated and expedited.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement -of parts to 4be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention `will be best understood-by 4reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred -form of construction, and in` which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan -view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation IView .on line 2 2 in Fig. 1; y f v Fig. 3 is anend-elevationalgview on line 3 3 in Fig. 1; .Y

Fig. 4 isV anfend elevational view on line 4-4 in Fig. 2; `and v 14 through which air may be introduced into the casing 11 so as to act upon the valve structures therein for the purpose of testing the same.

Likewise provided in this plate 12 is a pair of recesses 15 which assist in mounting the valve 10 upon the clarnp provided by this invention, and

' and composed of the part 20 and the foot 22 of the stationary jaw 17. The parts and 22 are detachably connected by bolt and nut structures 23, and apertures 24 are provided in the base 21 so that screws or the like may be passed therethrough to fasten tthe clamp upon a Work table or other support.

Extending ithrough apertures provided in Athe Ijaws 18 and 17 is a bolt 25 which has a head 25 having la pressed t in the recess 5l in jaw 13 .and .this bolt has a threaded stern 26 upon which is .mounted a sleeve -27 that has -a threaded internal bore 28 into which the stem 26 is threaded. Carried by the sleeve 27 is a handle structure 29 .including the arm 30. Two springs 31 extend between the jaws 17 and 18 and have their ends -tted in recesses therein. It is apparent, therefore, that by turning 4the handle 30 and sleeve 27 ocunterclockvvise as seen Alooking in frorn the right side of Fig. 2, the sleeve 27 will be retracted upon the -bolt and the springs ..31 will urge the jaw 18 .away from the jaw 17, the jaw 18 pivoting at 179, the .sleeve Y27 being preventedffroni coming off the bolt by a stop pin or dowel 49 .adapted to engage the `head of the bolt.

-On the upper end of jaw 18 is a step v32 from which .projects upwardly a .pair `of spaced apart `ears 33, ybetween which is v-a Well .36, for reasons Ito'be made apparent hereinafter.V Adapted to Iproject over Vthe step A32 is a flange vor head -34 that-is provided'on .the upper end of jaw 17, and ori-the side `of this `head 3.4 that `)faces toward the Vears 33 -a pairoi spaced apart lugs or doWels 35.

Extending vthrough the head 34 is an air Ainlet passage 37 to which -is connected an air conduit 334that is provided With a suitable control valve y39. An air outlet passage 40 is likewise provided inethehead 34 and connected to this passage is an .-air outlet conduit 41 that is provided with fa nozzle 42 and -a control valve 43.

y In the use vofthe invention, .the valve 10 is .placed in v.the position shown 4diagraniniatically in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the plate 12 will rest on the step 32, in the manner shown in Fig. 2, a part of the valve casing lying in the well 36, between the ears 33. The handle 30 is then rotated to move the jaw 17 and its head 34 toward the ears 33 and the lugs 35 are then entered in the recesses 15 in the plate 12, thereby holding the valve 10 in position on the clamp and aligning the passages 37 and 40 with the ports 13 and 14. The valve 39 is then opened to permit air under pressure to iiow through conduit 38 and passage 37 into the valve inlet port 13 so as to test the mechanisms in the valve 10, the air leaving valve 10 and its casing 1l by way of port 14, from which the air Will flow by way of conduit 41 and out of the nozzle 42, valve 43 being opened.

Experience in the use of the invention on locomotive feed or reducing valves teaches that if the slide valve, and regulating valves and pist0n in the valve structure 10 are in proper working order the air emerging from the casing 10, and passing by way of outlet conduit 41, will pulsate or flow intermittently and rhythmically from the nozzle 42 while, on the other hand, if the slide valve, regulating valves and piston in valve structure l@ are not in proper working condition the air passing out of the easing 11 will dow from the nozzle 42 in a continuous, uninterrupted stream. Thus, a mechanic skilled in the art will be apprised of the condition of the mechanism in the valve 10 and be informedof the repairs needed thereby, if any, Without the necessity of placing the feed valve in valve structure 10 on a standard test rack to determine the condition of the same, as has been the practice heretofore in the art. Moreover, the clamp will hold the feed valve 10 securely and rmly while the slide and regulating valve seats therein are reseated so'that any leaks in either the slide or regulating valves may be corrected without removing the feed valve 10 yfrom the clamp. To those skilled in the art it will also be apparent that the clamp Willenable the mechanic to determine whether or not the supply valve piston has the proper t to pass what is known as the range test on a standard test rack.

Provided in the jaw 17 is a hole e4 that is aligned with the well 36 (Fig. il and this ar rangement of hole le and well 36 permits the mechanic to insert a file therethrough for the purpose of filing the slide valve seat in the valve structure 10 without removing the same from the clamp.

In the use of the valves 1Q the plates 12 sometimes become worn on the face thereof that is disposed toward the head 3e and at the left side thereof, as seen looking in from the left in Fig. l, thus rendering it difcult to obtain an air tight seal between the passages 3'7 ande() and the ports 13 and 14. Toovercome this difficulty, I provide a shim 45 which is hinged, as at 46, to a bracket 47 that is fastenedto the left'side of jaw 18, as seenfrom the left in Fig. l.l When the plate 12 is worn,as above described, the shim 45 may be swung up into position between the Worm face of plate 12 andv theface i8 ofVv head 34, so

certained by screwing up on the regulating nut or hand wheel. If the feed valve pulsates itindicates that the feed valve is ready for final test and the required pressure setting, thereby practically eliminating the applying of the feed valve to, and removal of it from, the standard test rack several times which has heretofore been the necessary and customary practice in the art.

From the foregoing description it willbe apparent to those 'skilled in the art that the invention provides a clamp which will facilitate and expedite the testing and conditioning of feed or reducing air valves of the character described.

While I 'have illustrated and described theY preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and `modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claims..

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by LettersPatent is: f

1. A valve testing clamp, comprising a pair of adjustably associated clamping members, one of said clamping members including a step portion and a pair of spaced elements projecting above 135 said step portion, the other of said clamping members including a head portion projecting over said step portion and provided with passages, spaced lugs on said head portion, a conduit communicating with each of said passages, and means for moving said clamping membersrelative to each other. f f

2. A valve testing device comprising a base, adjustably associated upright clamping members rising from the base, one of said members being xed and the-other pivoted with respect to the base, a step for the pivoted member and provided with a well, spaced `earsrising from the :free end of the step-upon opposite sides of the well forco-operation therewith and the step forv re- '129 ceiving and supporting a portion of a valve to be tested, a head on the iiXedwmember and extending at right angles with' respect theretofor disposal above the step, said head having air passages therein, lugs extending from the head upon opposite sides ofthe air passages to be received in ports of the valve to align passages ofthe latter with the passages of the head, and means including springs for adjusting said clamping meinlli) bers relative to each other.

CARL P. FREUDENBERG. 

